Self-inflating target projectile

ABSTRACT

A self-inflating target projectile comprising a tubular member with a gunpowder charge therein and adapted to be disposed in the barrel of a gun, with a hollow capsule in said tubular member having an inflatable balloon therein and a check valve adjacent one end of the capsule with a plug adjacent the other end thereof, said capsule being adapted to be ejected by the gunpowder and said check valve enabling the interior of the capsule to be charged with a gas for inflating the balloon therein.

States Patent 72] Inventor Jerry R. Brooks 1716 Merrywood Way,Galnesvllle, Tex. 76240 [21 1 App]. No. 859,405

[22] Filed Sept. 19, 1969 [45] Patented Dec. 14, 1971 [54] SELF-INFLATING TARGET PROJECTILE 4 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

52 U.S. Cl 102/41, 102/37.6, 102/92.7 [51] Int. Cl F42b 5/22, F42b 9/20[50] Field of Search 102/41, 92.7, 35.6, 37.6, 49.5; 273/105.4, 102,105.2

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,864,916 6/1932Gachassin-LaFite 102/41 3,118,638 ll/1964 Rohr OTHER REFERENCES SpaceBeacon Astronautics; December 1958, pp. 21 & 27.

Primary Examiner-Robert F. Stahl Attorney-Berman, l)avidson andBermanABSTRACT: A self-inflating target projectile comprising a tubular memberwith a gunpowder charge therein and adapted to be disposed in the barrelofa gun, with a hollow capsule in said tubular member having aninflatable balloon therein and a check valve adjacent one end of thecapsule with a plug adjacent the other end thereof, said capsule beingadapted to be ejected by the gunpowder and said check valve enabling theinterior of the capsule to be charged with a gas for inflating theballoon therein It is an object of the present invention to provide atubular member that can be used with a conventional shotgun and whichcan be fired from the barrel of the shotgun which is provided with aself-inflating balloon therein so as to provide a target for improvingshooting skills.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an inflatabletarget that can be fired or shot from a conventional shotgun for use asa target so as to eliminate the necessity of specialized target throwingequipment, such as the equipment required for throwing clay targets.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a shellthat can be readily inserted in a shotgun and which has therein adeflated rubber balloon that can be quickly inflated after it leaves thegun so that a simple and economical target is provided for improvingshooting skill.

Various other objects and advantages of the present invention will bereadily apparent from the following detailed description when consideredin connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part thereof andin which FIG. I is a sectional view of the self-inflating targetprojectile embodied in the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a view illustrating the target being inflated after it hasleft the barrel of a shotgun, and

FIG. 3 discloses a modification of the invention illustrated in FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawing, the reference numeral generally designates atubular member that can be a conventional shotgun shell casing which isprovided with a conventional primer 12 and a moderate charge ofgunpowder 14 therein with a base wad 16 therein and a plastic plug 18which also serves as the over-powder wad.

Disposed within the shell 10 is a hollow capsule or casing 20 which ismade of metal and has a turned over lip 22 adjacent its rear endsecuring the enlarged portion 24 of an inflatable balloon thereto.

The forward end of the casing or capsule 20 has a countersink orrecessed portion 28 therein. A compression spring 30 is disposed in thecountersink and'has one end bearing against the bottom 32 of thecountersink which is provided with an orifice 34 therein, and the otherend of the spring 30 is mounted on a boss 36 of a check valve 38. Thevalve 38 is provided with a sealing washer 40 which is normallymaintained seated over the valve opening 42 by said spring member. Thevalve opening 43 is disposed in the bottom of a cup member 44 pressedinto the outer end of the countersink 28 and seated against a sealingwasher 46 therein. The casing 20 is maintained in the shell 10 by aturned-over lip 48 in the outer end of the shell.

After she shell has been assembled, the interior of the casing 20 ischarged with an appropriate gas such as carbon dioxide, compressing theballoon 26 back against the plug 18.

The shell is now ready for insertion in the barrel of a shotgunindicated in FIG. 2. When the shotgun is fired, the shell 10 will takethe trajectory as indicated in FIG. 2 and will be discharged from thegun barrel.

When the shell 10 is fired, the plug 18, after it leaves the barrel ofthe gun will separate from the capsule 20 and the gas within the capsulewill cause the balloon 26 to inflate as illustrated in FIG. 2. Thus, thepresent invention provides a gasfilled target that is self-inflatingafter it leaves the barrel of the gun and the inertia of the capsulewill cause the balloon target to are downwardly as illustrated in FIG. 2so as to provide a floating target for improving shooting skill.

Thus, with the present invention, a person can load his gun alternatelywith this self-inflating target projectile and a conventional shell sothat the shooter is able to project his own targets and eliminate therequirement for specialized target throwing equipment, such as theconvention clay target devices.

Referring to the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 3, this issubstantially the same as that described in connection with FIG. 1except that the capsule 54 is rovided with a plug 56 that has aninwardly extending lip 60 that extends into a complementary annulargroove 62 in the capsule 54. The inflatable balloon 64 is disposed in asleeve 66 having an outwardly turned lip 68 securing the intumed end 70of the balloon to the capsule in the enlarged bore 72 of the capsule.

The sleeve 66 is provided with a boss 74 thereon having an aperture ororifice 76 therein and compression spring 76' is seated over the bossand bears against a valve disc 78 fonning a check valve in the capsule.The false disc 78 is provided with a sealing washer 80 that seats overthe valve opening 82 in the capsule. The valve disc 78 has a valve stemwith an enlarged head 84 extending therethrough. When the capsule 54 isused in the shell 10, as described in FIG. 1, after assembly, theinterior of the capsule 54 is filled with an appropriate gas such ascarbon dioxide. When the embodiment of the invention described in FIG. 3is disposed in the shell 10 and the shell is fired from a gun, the plug56 is locked to the capsule until it clears the barrel. Thereafter, theplug 56 separates from the capsule 54 and the gas within the capsulepasses through the orifice 76 and inflates the bellows-type balloon 64that is stored in a deflated condition within the sleeve 66.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that various changesmay be made in the fonn, location and relative arrangement of severalparts without departing from the essential characteristics of theinvention, and it is to be understood that this invention is not to belimited except by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A self-inflating target projectile for a shotgun shell of the typeincluding a hollow casing open at one end and having a primer-firedgunpowder charge at theother end, comprising a sealed hollow capsulesecured in said casing, a filling air check valve mounted in one end ofsaid capsule and accessible through the open end of said casing, saidcapsule having an aperture in the end thereof opposite said valve, aninflatable target balloon having its open end secured to said capsulesurrounding said aperture with said balloon normally lying within saidcapsule, and a plug normally sealing the aperture in said capsule andseating as a wad against the gunpowder in said shell, said plug normallyretaining said balloon in said capsule against the pressure of air insaid capsule until said projectile is fired from a shotgun.

2. A device as claimed in claim I, wherein said plug has a centralupstanding boss engaged in sealing relation in the aperture of saidcapsule.

3. A device as claimed in claim I, wherein said capsule has an annulargroove formed therein surrounding said aperture and said plug has anannular intumed flange engaged in said annular groove.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein said capsule has a countersink portiontherein with an orifice therein and said check valve includes a biasingspring in said countersink and a valve disc covering said aperture andsaid spring normally urges said disc in said seated position over saidaperture.

* i i i i

1. A self-inflating target projectile for a shotgun shell of the typeincluding a hollow casing open at one end and having a primer-firedgunpowder charge at the other end, comprising a sealed hollow capsulesecured in said casing, a filling air check valve mounted in one end ofsaid capsule and accessible through the open end of said casing, saidcapsule having an aperture in the end thereof opposite said valve, aninflatable target balloon having its open end secured to said capsulesurrounding said aperture with said balloon normally lying within saidcapsule, and a plug normally sealing the aperture in said capsule andseating as a wad against the gunpowder in said shell, said plug normallyretaining said balloon in said capsule against the pressure of air insaid capsule until said projectile is fired from a shotgun.
 2. A deviceas claimed in claim 1, wherein said plug has a central upstanding bossengaged in sealing relation in the aperture of said capsule.
 3. A deviceas claimed in claim 1, wherein said capsule has an annular groove formedtherein surrounding said aperture and said plug has an annular inturnedflange engaged in said annular groove.
 4. The device of claim 1 whereinsaid capsule has a countersink portion therein with an orifice thereinand said check valve includes a biasing spring in said countersink and avalve disc covering said aperture and said spring normally urges saiddisc in said seated position over said aperture.